Method of making a welded spherical vessel



F. K. ZERBE 2,118,388

METHOD OF MAKI NG A WELDED SPHERICAL VESSEL May 24 1938.

Filed June 29, 1936 HVVUHVIYDR. I

BY flaw ATTORNEY.

Patented May 24, i938 I.

UNITED STATES PAT N E;

METHOD or MAKING A WELDED summon.

- Y VESSEL Frederick K. Zerbe. Waukesha. we... assignor it v A. 0. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis, a

corporation of New York Application June 29. 193 Serial No. 87,890

2 Claims; (Cl..113112) This invention relates to a welded spherical. placed beneath the seam on the inside and the vessel of a type adapted to transport and hold procedure for welding'is such as to secure full gases under very high'pressures. v 1 penetration of, the lip edges at the bottom of the The object of the invention is to provide a welding groove in the first pass of the electrode 5 substantially spherical pressure vessel in which along the groove. After the Welding of seam I 5' the seams can be more readily welded and X- is completed the chill strip 8 is preferably rerayed to insure the highest quality of product for moved. Seam I is then X-rayed, this being poshigh pressure servic 7 sible by reason of its closeness to opening 6 which Another object isto provide a novel method of allows: insertion of the required equipment for 10 constructing a high pressure vessel of substanthe short distance necessary. 10 tially spherical shape. The valve closure mechanism 9 is then secured The accompanying drawing illustrates the-emto the head 5 at the opening 6 and the vessel is bodiment of the invention and the views are as complete. follows: The construction of the vessel is Class I Figure 1 is a perspective View of a welded throughout and all seams are X-rayed. This 15v vessel; greatly enhances the sale of the vessel for high Fig. 2 is a top plan view just prior to securing pressure work. The vessel may be used as a-storthe upper head in place; age tank or it may be used on railway cars or Fig. 3 tea transversesection through one of truck trailers in which case a plurality of such at the vertical seams in the vessel; and spherical vessels are secured in place to provide Fig. 4 is a similar section through the top head v a multiple tank car or trailer. Its principal use showing the final weld securing it in place. is in holding gases under high pressures. The vessel is constructed of heavy plates The-invention is claimed as follows:

formed in sections and welded edge-to-edge to 1. The method of fabricating a high pressure t as complete the same. The main body of the vessel spherical container of heavy wall and employing is made up of six plates 1!, each being formed Class Iwelded construction, comprising forming a somewhat like a sector of an orange peel so that body portion of a plurality of plates welded towhen fitted together circumferentially they form gether edge-to-edge leaving a comparatively substantially the complete sphere except for top large opening therein, X-raying the welded seams so and bottom heads. Any number of plates may in said body portion'and utilizing said opening be employed. The scams 2 between the plates for inserting the required X-ray equipment, then are preferably electric arc-welded using processes welding a head in said opening, the head having known to produce Class I welds in accordance a small opening therein through which X-ray with the Unfired Pressure Vessel Code of the equipment may be inserted for a small distance, as American Society of Mechanical Engineers and X-raying the head seam of the vessel, and then also in accordance with the joint API-ASME securing a closure over the opening in said head. Code. For this purpose the seams 2 are prefer- '2. The method of fabricating a welded vessel. ably welded in accordance with the process decomprising forming a plurality of plates to the scribed in Patent .No. 1,812,123. After welding, required shape, assembling said plates edge to w the seams are X-rayed in accordance with code edge in complementary relation for forming the 40 requirements. vessel and leaving an opening therein suificiently The bottom head 3, which is formed on the large for insertion of suitable inspection and testsame curvature as the plates l, is then secured -ing equipment, welding 'said plates together, into the end of the shell by similar welding proserting said equipment through said opening and 5 cedure and the seam 4 X-rayed. determining therewith the qualityof the welds,

The top head 5 is formed on the same curvawithdrawing said equipment, welding a final plate ture as the shell and has an opening 6 at its in said opening and having a relatively small center for receiving valve connections. Head 5 opening therein, and inserting a part of said ini positioned at the top of the shell and since spection and testing equipment through said so the opening 6 isvtoo. small to allow access to the latter opening and testing said last named weld d interior of the vessel for weldin the'seam 'l is therewith. chamfered to allow all welding to be done from FREDERICK KFZERBEJ the outside. A removable copper chill strip 8 is 

